Dear Shir Chadash Community,
Louisiana is in the midst of the worst surge of the COVID-19 pandemic so far in terms of case growth rate, percent positivity and hospitalizations. In response to the current situation, the synagogue Board unanimously approved the following motion on August 9th:
Shir Chadash requires that everyone who comes inside the building be fully vaccinated (if eligible). Proof of vaccination will be required and may be provided in advance. Masks must be worn in the building at all times. The Health Committee will reassess the need for these requirements as health conditions warrant.
To help ensure the health and safety of our kehilla, we have established a registration process for in-person attendance at High Holy Days services. You can access the registration form HERE. Even if you are undecided at this time as to whether you will attend, please complete the form so we will have your registration information and (if applicable) proof of vaccination on hand. The deadline for registration is September 1.
If you are eligible to be vaccinated, you will need to provide proof of your vaccination status to attend in person services. Proof of vaccination can be via a CDC vaccination card, LA Wallet, or a LINKS immunization record. You are strongly encouraged to provide your proof of vaccination in advance. You may do this in several ways:
- Upload a photo/screenshot through the registration form.
-
Email a photo/screenshot to the synagogue office at shirchadash@shirchadash.org.
- Mail a copy/print out to the synagogue office.
- Show proof of vaccination to Sarah in the synagogue office. The office is open from 9 AM until 2 PM, Tuesday through Friday. Please call the office in advance to let Sarah know when you will be coming by.
If you do not provide evidence of vaccination in advance, you will be required to provide proof of vaccination at the door to be admitted to the building.
Our staff will record the date(s) of your vaccination(s) and will only use this information to verify that you are fully vaccinated. Your information will be kept confidential and will not be used for any other purpose. You will only need to provide us with this proof once. Once we receive your proof of vaccination, you will not need to show it again when attending in-person services.
If you are unable to be vaccinated because of a medical reason, you may call the synagogue office at 504-889-1144 to arrange a conference with a physician member of our Health Committee to discuss a request for an exemption. Exemption requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
In addition to in-person services, we will also be live streaming our High Holy Days services. If you do not plan to attend in person, we hope you will join our community’s observance through our livestream. More information will soon be available at www.shirchadash.org.
If you do plan to participate in services remotely and would like to borrow our High Holy Days prayer book, Mahzor Lev Shalem, you may pick one up from the office between 9 AM and 2 PM, Tuesday through Friday. Again, please call the office in advance to let us know when you will be coming by. You can also access a digital copy of Mahzor Lev Shalem for a cost of $1 HERE. The deadline to place an order for a digital machzor is Tuesday, August 24.
Finally, if you have children who are too young to be vaccinated, please complete the survey HERE asking about your plans for service attendance and your preferences for how children's services should be delivered. Your responses will help us provide High Holy Day children’s programming that meets our congregation’s needs.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we navigate this challenging time and as we strive to offer an in person High Holy Days experience while at the same time keeping our community as safe as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
Shanah Tovah,
Julie Finger, MD
Chair, Health Committee
Ken Klein
President
Ricardo Totah
Executive Director
